Play pen



N. wl. olEwRNE` 2,041,509

PLAY PEN May 19, 1936.

Fi l-ed June 'l0 1935 INVENTOR,

/ AT'TRNEY` Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to portable pen structures and particularly that type of play pen which is utilized in nurseries forconni-ng infants to an area outlined by a circumscribing body, bottomed by an articulated Door.

One of the important aims of this invention is the provision of such an aforementioned structure which is made in a novel, unique and effective manner which permits completely and c quickly collapsing the entire play pen when not in use, yet which allows positively and thoroughly locking together all the component parts thereof when the play pen is in use.

Another important aim of this invention is the provision of specially constructed means for interconnecting the component parts of the entire play pen which means permit the folding of the sides of the circumscriblng body and the articulated iioor to a position where the same are all in superimposed parallel relation to each other.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a play pen of the aforementioned type wherein is embodied a circumscribing body which is not exactly rectangular, but which has a pair of opposed parallel sides and another pair of opposed converging sides which cooperate to permit extending and collapsing the pen to and from an operative position where all the parts will be rigidly secured together against displacement and against relative accidental movement because ofthe aforementioned form respecting converging and parallel sides.,

It is well known in this art that play pens for children have included mechanical means for locking the parts thereof together which, by virtue of their weakness, allows displacement of the parts to a point where the child will injure itself or even release itself from confinement within the pen because of the employment of structural parts which do not contribute rigidity and. posi- -tive connections.

It is with the foregoing general short-comings of the ordinary type of play pen in mind that this structure has been developed to over-come, and While the aforementioned broad objects` set down salient features of this invention, a large number of minor objects will appear during the course of the following specification referring to the accompanying drawing wherein,A

Figure i is a perspective view of a play pen illustrating one embodiment oi the invention.

. Fig. 2 is a top edge view of the play pen collapsed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section through the collapsed play pen taken on line Ill-m oi Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal central section through the open play pen.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed View illustrating the double hinge which is employed at one corner of the play pen.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed perspective view illustrating the slip hinge employed to interconnect proximal ends of the circumscribiing body at another corner thereof.

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view taken on line VII- VII of Fig. 6. v

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken longitudinally through the said slip hinge.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a similar view taken on line X--X of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view, partially in section to illustrate the manner of joining certain of the sides to the supporting side panel of the circumscribing body.

In describing the illustrated exemplication of this invention as it is shown in the accompanying drawingflike reference characters will be used to designate similar parts throughout the several views and the numeral i4 indicates a supporting .panel or side of a circumscribing body which comprises said side I4 and one side I6, a second side i5 and a third side 20. These four sides which comprise the circumscribing body are made up in any suitable fashion through the use of grille Work or spindles 22, 24, 26, and 28 which are vertically disposed along the sides i4, I6, i8, and 2li respectively.

Side id is hereinafter designated as the supporting panel or side because the articulated floor comprising panels 30 and 32 is hingedly joined thereto and is always associated therewith whether the pen be in the operative or collapsed condition. Supporting side it comprises an upper rail 34 and a lower rail 36 and it is to this lower rail 36'that panel 30 of the articulated floor is hingedly connected as illustrated at 3B. These hinges are mounted as shown in the detailed Fig. 10 and .lower rail 36 is offset to present a sill t!! upon which rests panel 30. The other panel 32 of this articulated floor is hingedly connected to the first mentioned panel 30 by suitable hinges 42 and the joint formed between panels 3B and 32 comprises the abutting proximaledges of panels 3Q and 32 and the interconnecting hinges42. This joint ls intermediate sides M and i8 and is preferably in parallel relation thereto so that collapse of the entire structure might take place as hereinafter mentioned. To assist "breaking" the articulated iioor at its joint and to facilitate the opening and closing of the entire play pen, a cable 44 is attached to panel 32 adiacent this side joint and in a relation thereto as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4.

Supporting side or panel I4 is further provided with posts 46 and 48 respectively, the latter being in the form of a laterally extending wall which serves to maintain the proximal end of side I6 in spaced relation with side I4. This wall 48 also serves as will more fully hereinafter be set down. Side wall I8 has posts 50 and 52 respectively and upper and lower rails.54 and 56 respectively and sides I6 and 20 are provided with upperrails 58 and 60 respectively and lower rails 62 and 64 respectively. Rails 62, 56 and 64 provide a sill which extends around the inner side of walls I6, I8, and 20 and this sill cooperates with sill 40 on rail 36 in providing a positive foundation or support for the articulated floor which is mounted above the supporting surface of the play pen per se.

Reference to Fig. 4 will readily indicate the manner in which sides I4 and I8 are in parallel relation with the latter slightly shorter than the former. Sides I6 and 20 are disposed in converging relation so that when the articulated floor, with its panels 30 and 32, is extended it will be dropped into place wedge-fashion and will serve to establish a rigid member between all of the sides of the circumscribing body.

Means of a particular nature are provided for interconnecting the four sides at the corners of the circumscribing bodyor play pen. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, these means include brackets 66 of which there are four, one being disposed between rail 58 and wall 48; another being positioned between rail 62 and wall 48, another being positioned between rail 60 and corner post 46 of supporting side panel I4 and another being placed between rail 64 and the last mentioned post 46. These brackets 66 are rigidly secured to wall and post 48 and 46 respectively and each has a pin II to pivotally engage the respective aforesaid rails. This pivotal connection cooperates with the slip hinge and double hinge which are located at the other two corners of the circumscribing body. The slip hinge is disposed to interconnect the upper and lower rails oi the first side I6 and the second side I8 and there is a slip hinge at the top and bottom so that side I6 may move inwardly along side I8 during the operation of collapsing the pen. Slip hinges mentioned are each formed alike and comprise a plate 1I) mounted upon the rail of side I8 and a plate I2 mountedupon' the rail of side I6. This last mentioned plate has an inwardly extending tongue I4 formed as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the head 'I6 of which rides within cavity 'I8 as the tongue 'I4 travels along slot 80 formed in plate 18.

It is obvious that through this slip hinge construction rails such as are numbered 54 and 58 in Figs. 6 and 8 may be moved from the pition shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. I8. The locking relation between the parts as shown in Fig. 8 is also important andfurther contributes to a rigidconstruction at this corner. The double hinge has a part 82 which is secured to the rails of side 20 respectively and a part 84 which is secured to the rails of the second side I8 respectively. An intermediate part 86 joints these ilrst two mentioned parts and allows the movement of the side 20 around the end of side I8 as the structure is being collapsed. 'I'his double hinge cooperates with the slip hinge just above described and permits the movement of sides I6, I8, and 20 to a position as illustrated in Fig. 2. Wall 48 contributes to this movement and all of the collapsing action on the part of the circumscribing body is performed after the panels 3D and 32 of the articulated oor are moved up against supporting side I4. This movement of the floor parts takes place by merely drawing upwardly on cable 44 and conversely when the pen is being opened, pariel 32 is swung out in place by manual manipulation of this cable.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the pen shown and described has a large number of large structural features which contribute to safety, rigidity and desirability. The entire pen is in an assembled condition in the open or closed position and there is no possibility of the parts of the play pen becoming maladjusted during the opening or closing operation. The extension of posts 50. 62, and 46 as well as wall 48 downwardly beyond rails 36, 26, 56, and 64 of the four sides of the pen, insures that the door thereof will be held high above the ground or other supporting surface.

In folding the play pen from the condition shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, it is obvious that the ilrst action is to grasp cable 44, break the articulated oor at the joint and draw panels 30 and 62 thereof to a superimposed and parallel relation to side I4. Post 46 may be cut away es at 96 to insure that the top of panel 30 lies snugly against spindles 22. After this movement on the part of the articulated oor, it is only necessary for the operator to grasp the top rails 58 and 6I) of sides I6 and 20 and move them both to the left as the structure is seen in Fig.' l. This action moves all means for hingedly interconnecting the four sides of the circumscribing structure and when side 20 has pulled sides I6 and I8 together in a superimposed parallel condition, the slip hinges have assumed the position shown in Fig. 6. Sides I6 and I8 are extended to the left of supporting side I4 and the pivotal movement of side I6 about the connection with wall 48 is then reversed so as to force the slip hinge and its interconnected proximal ends of sides I8 and 26 into the position against articulated floor panels 30 and 32 and supporting side I4 as shown in Fig. 2. 'Ihis action draws side I6 down against side 26 and the entire circumscribing structure with the articulated floor has the parts thereof disposed in parallel relation to each other and in superimposed4 condition as Fig. 2 illustrates.

After the play pen has been assembled for use,

a superstructure including upstanding members IIlIl may be fitted into sockets |82 formed at each corner respectively of the circumscribing structure. A protecting covering or awning, not here shown, may be carried by these members |00 for the purpose of affording shade for the infant confined within the pen.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A play pen comprising a plurality of side panels, substantially equal in length, hingedly connected at their proximal ends to form an equilateral circumscribing body; a floor hingedly secured to one of said panels, said panels meeting in substantially perpendicular relation to each other at their points of juncture when the pen is open; and a spacer member attached to one end of one of said panels and extending at right angles thereto, a second of said panels hingedly secured to the free side of the spacing member, said rst and second panels each having an adjacent panel hingedly secured thereto, one of said last named panels being slidably and hingedly connected to the second panel and arranged to fold parallel tothe rst named panels in a position between the same.

2. A play pen comprising a plurality of side panels, substantially equal in length, hingedly connected at their proximal ends to form an equilateral circumscribing body; a iioor hingedly secured to one of said panels, said panels meeting in substantially perpendicular relation to ea'ch other at their points of juncture when the pen is open; and a spacer member attached to one end of one of said panels and extending at right angles thereto, a second of said panels hingedly secured to the free side of the spacing member, said rst and second panels each having an adjacent panel hingedly secured thereto, saidlast named panels having a double hinge connecting the same to each other and contributing to allow the said adjacent panels to fold parallel to the rst and second panels in a position between the same said second panel being slidably and hingedly secured to said adjacent panel.

3. A play pen comprising a plurality of side panels, substantially equal in length, hingedly connected at their proximal ends to form an equilateral circumscribing body; a floor hingedly secured to one of said panels, said panels meeting in substantially perpendicular relation to each other at their points of juncture when the pen is open; and a spacer member attached to one end of one of said panels and extending at right angles thereto, a second of said panels hingedly secured to the free side of the spacing member, said rst and second panels each having an adjacent panel hingedly secured thereto, said last named panels being hinged to each other at the adjacent ends remote from the first and second panels, one of said adjacent panels having a slip hinge securing the same to said second panel and contributing to allow'the said adjacent panels to fold parallel to the rst and second panels in a position between the same.

4. A play pen comprising a plurality of side panels, substantially equal in length, hingedly connected at their proximal ends to form an equilateral circumscribing body; a floor hingedly secured to one of said panels, said panels meeting in substantially perpendicular relation to each other at their points of juncture when the pen is open; and a spacer member attached to one end of one of said panels and extending at right angles thereto, a second oi said panels hingedly secured to the free side of the spacing member, said first and second panels each having an adjacent panel hingedly secured thereto, said last named panels having a double hinge connecting the same to each other, one oi' said last named panels having a slip hinge securing the same to said second panel whereby the said adjacent panels are folded parallel to the first and second panels in a position between the same.

5. A play pen comprising a plurality of side panels, lsubstantially equal in length, hingedly connected at their proximal ends to form an equilateral 'circumscribing body; an articulated floor hingedly secured at one edge to one of said panels, said panels meeting in substantially perpendicular relation to each other at their points of juncture when the pen is open; and a. spacer member attached to one end of the said one panel and extending at right angles thereto, a second of said panels being hingedly secured to the free side of the spacing member, said first and second panels each having an adjacent panel hingedly secured thereto, said last named panels being hinged to each other and arranged to fold parallel to the first named panels in a position between the same, said articulated oor being arranged to fold parallel to the said panels in a position between the 1 said one panel and said second panel with the said adjacent panels saidsecond panel being slidably and hingedly secured to its said adjacent panel.

6. A play pen comprising a plurality of sidev panels, substantially equal in length, hingedly connected at their proximal 'ends to form an equi'- lateral circumscribing body; an articulated iloor hingedly secured at one edge to one of said panels,

said panels meeting in substantially perpendicular relation to each other at their points of juncture when the pen is open; and a spacer member attached to one end oi' the said one panel and extending at right an'gl thereto, ase'cond of said panels being hingedly secured to the free side of the spacing member, said iirst and second panels each having an adjacent panel hingedly secured thereto, said last named panels being hinged to each other and arranged to told parallel to the nrst named panels in a position between the same, said second 'panel being slidably and hingedly secured to its said adjacent panel, said iioor having a joint formed therein intermediate the hingedly NATHAN w. O'BYRNE. 

